brizz9 wrote:I posted this in another thread, but in case you didn't see it:

I've spoken with a couple of people in the last couple days about Hastings. One a current student there, and one a Boalt grad who is a plaintiffs attorney and worked 7 years in public interest in San Francisco before that. The attorney stressed that Hastings is a great school that he feels teaches the black letter law better than Berkeley and feels that Hastings grads are very well prepared to jump into direct services and/or litigation after graduation. He stressed the competitiveness in all realms (big law, public interest, government) and reinforced the idea that rankings do matter, but so do grades, and that a Hastings grad who does well has good career prospects, especially in the Bay Area where there are many Hastings' grads and its reputation is stellar. One thing they both stressed as an advantage to Hastings over other schools is the ability to work during the school year in San Francisco. It is much easier logistically to have an externship, internship, etc. while going to Hastings than other schools. They both stressed that the connections from these opportunities have been invaluable for people they know, leading to jobs after graduation.

You love Hastings don't you

I guess I'm getting on the bandwagon. Actually, I've just been talking to a few people this week about the school, and they are swaying me toward making it my choice.

I am from NYC so I am use to great public transportation. How is SF public transit? If I can afford a car do you recommend having one? What measures does Hastings take to ensure student's safety at night? I envision of alot of late nights studying on campus and I do not want to stop studying at dusk (that may sound a little too drastic - but in some parts of Brooklyn & Queens that's what you have to do.)

etwashington7 wrote:I am from NYC so I am use to great public transportation. How is SF public transit? If I can afford a car do you recommend having one? What measures does Hastings take to ensure student's safety at night? I envision of alot of late nights studying on campus and I do not want to stop studying at dusk (that may sound a little too drastic - but in some parts of Brooklyn & Queens that's what you have to do.)

Don't get a car, Hastings' campus is in downtown. If you commute into the city from the East Bay, maybe get a car but leave it there and just take BART in. I live 3 blocks from Hastings, and I'm selling my car now that I work in the city rather than commuting out every day.

From what I've heard, Hastings makes a strong effort to keep security pretty high. That being said, it's near the Tenderloin and it's going to always be a sketchy place. If you're a female, I see security being more of a concern, not that you'd necessarily be assaulted, but it just may be a more prominent worry. As a male, I have stumbled through that area at 3am in the morning and could care less.

Edit: Public transit -

Public transit is "good", in so far as you can get anywhere you need to in a reasonable amount of time if you know how to navigate the system (which is not too difficult). You can pay $60 a month for a pass that gives you unlimited use of Muni (buses and some lighter underground rail). BART runs through the city, but only has a few stops along market and the mission - it's more of a commute into/out-of the city system. People will complain all over the place about Muni though, as they are having to do some service cuts and increase fares. In the end, however, it is and will always be a system you can rely on to get around the city without a car.

Where can I find some detailed employment data for Hastings? This talk about its reputation is interesting and I've been considering going there. I've been accepted at USD and I would love to work in SD, but if a degree from Hastings increases my chances at a more lucrative job, I'd choose Hastings easy. I've got no problem living in the Bay Area...